This easy and delicious Spanish lentil salad comes together in under 30 minutes. While the lentils cook, chop up some veggies and make a quick dressing. Soon, you'll have a wholesome meal everyone loves. If you're looking for a quick and healthy lentil salad recipe, this one's for you!
If you love colorful salads, you won't want to miss these Spanish recipes for ensalada mixta and ensaladilla rusa.
Introduction
Lentils are a big part of the Spanish diet, and Spanish lentil stew is one of our most common lunchtime meals. But no one wants a bowl of piping hot lentils in the middle of Spanish summer! No worries, lentil salad to the rescue.
Lentil salad has become very popular in recent years in Spain, as healthy eating and salad culture is growing. It used to be the only salad you'd find in most Spanish restaurants was the classic ensalada mixta, but these days that's changing. You'll find this lentil salad offered on many fixed price lunch menus (called menús del dÃa) around Spain.
What I love about this lentil salad recipe is that it captures a lot of the flavors of Spain in one dish: paprika, lemon, garlic, cumin, sea salt...and it's also super quick and easy to make. I like to prepare a big bowl and eat it for lunch a couple times a week.
Ingredients
Excited to try this colorful Spanish lentil salad? Here's the key ingredients that you'll need to whip up this healthy lunch recipe!
- Lentils: You can use the lentil of your choice, but ideally one that holds its shape and doesn't get too mushy. Here in Spain, I love to use the pardina lentil (a delicious small brown lentil), but black beluga lentils and green lentils are also delicious. Here's a great guide to lentils with more info and cook times.
- Vegetables: This lentil salad uses classic Spanish veggies: red pepper, cucumber, onion, and carrot. You can add or subtract veggies as you wish, but I encourage you to try this version first; it's a great balance of flavor and crunch!
- Paprika: One of the classic Spanish flavors in this salad is paprika, specifically smoked Spanish paprika called pimentón. This is a unique flavor, and I recommend you try to find or order this spice when cooking Spanish food. If you're located in the US, you can order from La Tienda.
- Garlic: The raw garlic in the dressing is fairly mild, and really gives the salad a kick. But if you prefer, you can omit it and add a tablespoon of mustard in its place for texture and creaminess.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Spanish Lentil Salad
If you’d like to see the full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card.
- Cover the lentils with a couple of inches of water, add the bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Simmer and cook according to the package instructions. I recommend starting to taste at the 15 minute mark so that they don't overcook. (image 1)
- While the lentils cook, chop all of the vegetables and add to a large serving bowl. (image 2)
- When the lentils are cooked, strain and rinse under cold water. Add to the salad. (image 3)
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. (image 4)
- Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and mix well. (image 5)
- Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy immediately or keep in the fridge for up to four days. (image 6)
Recipe FAQs
No; you'll have to cook lentils from scratch for this salad. Canned or jarred lentils will be too mushy.
Each lentil's cook time varies, and you'll want to cook your lentils al dente (firm to the bite) so that they're a nice texture for salad. Check your package for instructions, but taste them starting at the 15 minute mark no matter what; I find they often cook faster than the package says.
This salad lasts four days in the refrigerator.
A heaping plate of this lentil salad is more than enough for a vegetarian-friendly meal! But if you'd like to add some extra calories and protein, you can top with grilled chicken, salmon, hard-boiled egg, or feta cheese.
Serve
I love to eat this salad for lunch, just as it is. If I'm super hungry, I might add a topping of grilled chicken, salmon, hard-boiled eggs, or feta cheese.
Sometimes, I also make this as a side dish for a family meal. It's a great salad with a heartier meat dish, like these pinchos morunos (pork skewers) or these pork stuffed bell peppers.
Expert Tips
- You can use the lentil of your choice, but it should be one that holds its shape and doesn't get too mushy. Brown, black, and green lentils work well. You cannot use canned lentils; they will be too mushy.
- Make sure to cook the lentils until al dente: tender, but not mushy.
- Feel free to substitute with different veggies if needed.
- Try to get smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón dulce); it has a great, unique flavor.
- You can prepare this salad in advance; it tastes even better after marinating for a couple of hours, and it will last up to four days in the fridge.
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Spanish Lentil Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 cup dry lentils either brown, green, or black
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup finely diced carrots about two medium carrots
- ½ cup finely diced red bell pepper about half a large bell pepper
- ½ cup finely diced sweet or red onion about half of a small onion
- ½ cup deseeded and finely diced cucumber about one medium cucumber
- ¼ cup fresh parsley minced
For the Dressing
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice from 2 lemons
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon smoked sweet Spanish paprika pimentón dulce
- â…“ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or more to taste
Instructions
- Put the dry lentils and bay leaf into a pot and cover with two inches of water. Bring the lentils to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover. Cook according to package instructions until al dente (cooked through, but still firm to the bite), about 15-25 minutes. Start tasting around the 15-minute mark so that you don't overcook them.
- While the lentils are cooking, finely dice the vegetables and place them in a large serving bowl.
- To prepare the dressing, combine the cumin, paprika, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, lemon zest, and minced garlic in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, then adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
- When the lentils are tender but not mushy, drain them in a colander and rinse with cold water. Make sure they're well-drained so that the salad isn't watered down.
- Add the lentils to the diced vegetables and mix everything together, then pour on the dressing. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
- Enjoy the salad immediately, or keep in the fridge for up to four days.
Notes
- You can use the lentil of your choice, but it should be one that holds its shape and doesn't get too mushy. Brown, black, and green lentils work well. You cannot use canned lentils; they will be too mushy.
- Make sure to cook the lentils until al dente: tender, but not mushy.Â
- Feel free to substitute with different veggies if needed.Â
- Try to get smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón dulce) -- it has a great, unique flavor.
- You can prepare this salad in advance; it tastes even better after marinating for a couple of hours, and it will last up to four days in the fridge.
Nutrition
Photography by Giulia Verdinelli
Laura
Hi! I made this and it was delicious! I was going to make it again and I realized I left out the olives last time. Then I realized that while pictured above, it's not on your ingredient list in the recipe. Thought you should know!
Lauren Aloise
Oops thank you!